A Disruptive Wave is Hitting the Insurance Industry

Technology is Creating a Disruptive Wave

Today's professionals are using technologies like smartphones and social media daily as their main form of communication. Insurance professionals are not an exception to this. Employers have been reshaping their workplaces around these technologies, and your insurance agency should do the same to prepare for the wave of change that is occurring and will continue to occur.

Though actual phone calls and face-to-face meetings will probably always be necessary, today’s customers are looking for your website before they call you. They’re reading up on you when it’s convenient for them instead of calling to speak with you during your business hours. So how should you change your way of doing business to account for this wave of change that's taking over the industry?

Promote yourself as your business.

Agents and agencies are able to effectively promote themselves through social media and personal blogs, spending hardly anything on advertising. Promote yourself by simply bringing value to those in your market.

8:00-5:00 is becoming a thing of the past; just be available to customers.

Now more than ever, employees appreciate flexible work hours. How much more flexible can you get than working from home with connection to everyone via smartphone, email or social media? Always connected and always available is more convenient to your customers and potential customers than 8:00-5:00.

Work from wherever; no need for an office building.

Since you aren’t renting office space or driving to an office, you’ll clearly save money. You won’t be filling up your gas tank near as much, and you won’t be headed to the fast food place every other day because you forgot your lunch at home. And if you're an agency owner, think of the cost savings of not having a full-functioning office building. Not to mention, your pool of potential employees and agents becomes much larger when no one is required to come to the office.

Always be open to new technologies.

Technology will continue to grow in this environment because, to put it simply, it must. This environment requires a continual growth of innovative and creative ways to do business. Have you ever had a client meeting via Skype? The day is coming.

Realize customers communicate differently now.

A large majority of your customers are going to the Internet before picking up or answering the phone. Cold calling? Most people aren’t answering a call on their cell or home phone from a number that they don’t know. They will, however, check out what you have to offer on Facebook or your website if you have compelling content in those locations that brings them value. Educate them and you will earn their business.

It’s clear that technology and this new way of doing business is throwing a disruptive wave at the industry, and this wave comes from the new, young insurance professionals who envision a new way for the industry to work - a more efficient way. It is exciting to see the technologies and ideas that are born from this wave.

It's time to sink or swim - are you ready to ride the wave?

Listen to Steve Anderson discuss "The Virtual Agency. What it is, why you need it and tools to help."

Kelsey is the Marketing Brand Specialist at AgencyBloc. She plans and creates educational resources to help our customers organize, automate & grow their insurance agency. Favorite quote: "I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it." —Charles R. Swindoll
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